Teaching Exegesis in Historically Black Theological Schools

This Forum collects the papers presented at a 2010 panel at the Society of Biblical Literature, an outcome of a Wabash Center funded grant project. The project examined the unique dimensions and experiences of teaching Biblical exegesis at the six historically black theological schools (HBTSs), including discussion of the unique needs of HBTS students and their communities, and appropriate learning goals and effective teaching practices for this context. None of the biblical studies faculty were prepared as graduate students for the unique challenges that they have encountered teaching at a HBTS, so they have all had to “learn on the job” how best to approach the unique needs of the student body. The brief statements collected here summarize the findings from the project, describe and analyze some effective teaching strategies, and offer suggestions for continuing the conversation.     

Semantic components in the literal and metaphorical use of movement verbs

The study analyzes acceptability judgments relating to sentences that have the same syntactic structure (subject-verb-locative) and varying possibilities of semantic anomaly. Twelve movement verbs were used—that is, 12 verbs indicating a change in position or location; a componential analysis of these verbs was carried out beforehand by the authors. In all, 288 sentences were constructed by combining these 12 verbs with 24 subject-locative pairs. The subjects (university students) were asked to judge the acceptability of the sentences on a 5-step scale. The data were subjected to two methods of factor analysis; in this way three factors were revealed. By examining the verbs loaded on the three factors in the light of the abovementioned componential analysis, it was found that certain components, if present, reduced the probability that a sentence would be judged acceptable in a metaphorical sense; this was especially true of the components use of instruments and typically human character of the action, which, in the sentences with nonhuman subject, are contradictory with the meaning of the subject, and of medium-specific, often contradictory with the meaning of the locative. The results are discussed in relation to some theoretical and methodological problems in current research on the comprehension of metaphor.     

A Chinese perspective on Kohlberg's theory of moral development

This essay uses the Chinese culture as an example to underline the culturally specific contextual problems regarding Kohlberg's theory of moral development and to point to a new direction for cross-cultural research in this area. The Western view of man as an autonomous being who makes free and rational choices as a moral agent is clearly reflected in Kohlberg's stages of moral development as well as his methodology. The Confucian view of man as an integral part of an orderly universe with an innate moral sense to maintain harmony is quite different. Further, the preferred mode of resolving human conflict in China is reconciliation and collective decision making rather than individual choice, commitment, and responsibility as in the West. In the light of these fundamental differences in the two cultural traditions, an alternative to Kohlberg's theory is suggested.     

Gratitude in buyer-seller relationships: a dyadic investigation

In addressing the call for research to understand affect in sales, this research uses moral affect theory and literature on emotional contagion to examine the effects of salesperson gratitude and customer gratitude on downstream relationship outcomes. The findings of this work suggest that salesperson prosocial behaviors account for the positive association between salesperson gratitude and customer gratitude. These prosocial behaviors – information sharing and extra-role behaviors – combined with customer gratitude serve as explanatory mechanisms for the positive effects of salesperson gratitude on customer commitment, which is an important result of buyer-seller interactions and an essential component of long-term relationships. Further, this research finds that salesperson extra-role behaviors and relationship length interact such that salesperson extra-role behaviors cultivate customer gratitude within developing and established relationships, but that these behaviors are particularly beneficial for less mature relationships. Understanding the role of salesperson gratitude and customer gratitude in driving relational outcomes contributes to both a theoretical understanding of the role of affect in sales and practical applications of emotions within buyer-seller relationships.     

Improving Intergroup Relations with Extended Contact among Young Children: Mediation by Intergroup Empathy and Moderation by Direct Intergroup Contact

A correlational study investigated extended contact as a strategy to improve outgroup attitudes and stereotyping and to prepare children for future contact. Additional aims were to investigate when and why the effects of extended contact occur. In particular, intergroup empathy was tested as a mediator and direct contact (i.e. cross‐group friendship) as a moderator of extended contact. Participants were Italian and immigrant elementary school children. Results showed that extended contact was associated with improved intergroup empathy, which, in turn, was associated with more positive outgroup attitudes, stereotypes and behavioural intentions. These effects were significant only among participants with a low or moderate level of direct contact. The theoretical and practical implications of findings are discussed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Outcome evaluation in brief mother-infant psychotherapies: Report on 75 cases

The effects of brief mother–infant psychotherapies (maximum of 10 sessions) were examined in cases of functional and behavioral disturbances in children less than 30 months old. Seventy-five mother-infant dyads were assessed prior to treatment, at 1 week, and 6 months after therapy ended. The outcome measures were changes in the infant's symptoms, the behavioral interactions between mother and infant, and maternal representations. The effect of two forms of intervention—Psychodynamic Therapy and Interaction Guidance Therapy—were compared. Results indicated a significant symptom reduction; dyadic interactions became more harmonious (mothers became less intrusive and infants more cooperative). Maternal self-esteem grew significantly and negative affects decreased. Improvements lasted as least several months, with some positive improvement detected at the 6-month follow-up. No major difference in outcome was found between the effects of the two forms of intervention. Within the limitations of research in a clinical context, this study suggests that brief mother–infant psychotherapies are a cost-effective method of early intervention.     

The greatest magic of Harry Potter: Reducing prejudice

Recent research shows that extended contact via story reading is a powerful strategy to improve out‐group attitudes. We conducted three studies to test whether extended contact through reading the popular best‐selling books of Harry Potter improves attitudes toward stigmatized groups (immigrants, homosexuals, refugees). Results from one experimental intervention with elementary school children and from two cross‐sectional studies with high school and university students (in Italy and United Kingdom) supported our main hypothesis. Identification with the main character (i.e., Harry Potter) and disidentification from the negative character (i.e., Voldemort) moderated the effect. Perspective taking emerged as the process allowing attitude improvement. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed in the context of extended intergroup contact and social cognitive theory.     

Evaluation of psychoanalytic psychotherapy with children: Therapists' assessments and predictions

Meaningful and clinically relevant evaluation of psychoanalytical psychotherapy requires new models for research. Such evaluation needs to take account of the complexities of personality and innerworld change as well as the more simply assessed changes in external behaviour.

A pilot study to develop a suitable methodology is described. These preliminary results are on a consecutive series of twenty in care and adopted children entering psychotherapy at the Tavistock Clinic. The project evolved from a previous study of psychotherapy with severely deprived children (Boston & Szur 1983), but the method could be used with any group of children in psychoanalytic psychotherapy, and possibly also, in an adapted form, with adults.

Therapists' initial aims and predictions are compared with later assessments of both external, and a wide range of internal, changes. Methods of validation are discussed and case-illustrations given.     

Acceptability of Prenatal Diagnosis by a Sample of Parents of Sickle Cell Anemia Patients in Cameroon (Sub-Saharan Africa)

Little is known about attitudes of parents of Sickle Cell Anemia patients in sub-Saharan Africa regarding prenatal genetic diagnosis and termination of an affected pregnancy. In this study, structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with a sample of 130 parents in Cameroon that had at least one living child with Sickle Cell Anemia. The majority of participants lived in urban areas (89%), were female (80%), Christian (93%), married (60.2%) in monogamous households (81.1%), were employed (61.7%), and had at least a secondary or tertiary education (82%). The majority of parents accepted the principle of prenatal genetic diagnosis for Sickle Cell Anemia (89.8%) and termination of pregnancy (62.5%). Acceptance of the principle of pregnancy termination increased with unemployment (p < .01) and single marital status (p < .05). The results of this study suggest Cameroonian parents with children affected with Sickle Cell Anemia generally accept the principles of prenatal diagnosis and in some cases termination of a pregnancy affected with Sickle Cell Anemia. Additional findings, policy and practice implications, and research recommendations are presented.